Hunwick hopped into his white 1992 Ford Ranger pickup and drove down to Nationwide Arena to sign an amateur tryout contract with the Blue Jackets.

“I was at my place and my assistant coach (Brian Wiseman) told me to get to the rink quickly,'' Hunwick said. “He didn't tell me until I got to the rink, so I didn't know what was going on. I thought maybe I was going to the (AHL), which would have been awesome. So it was a crazy experience.''

The Blue Jackets were scrambling for goaltending help after Steve Mason was hit in the mask by a puck at the morning skate and wasn't able to dress. Backup Curtis Sanford is out with a leg injury.

Allen York, recalled from Springfield (AHL) last week, was scheduled to make his second career NHL start. The other goalies at Springfield, including former Red Wing Manny Legace, are on AHL contracts, so they could not be recalled.

Fortunately for Columbus, Hunwick was nearby. The 5-foot-7 netminder from Sterling Heights completed his collegiate career five days earlier in a 3-2 loss to Cornell at the NCAA Midwest regional.

“I'm sure they just pinpointed somebody who was close,'' Hunwick said before the game.

“I'm probably going to be a little nervous. It's a neat experience. Not very many guys get an opportunity like this. Just got to soak it all in.''

Hunwick went 54-23-7, with 10 shutouts, at Michigan, where he established school records for career goals-against average (2.05) and save percentage (.928).

The former walk-on, who turns 25 on April 9, was not drafted. Now he has chance to perhaps be on an NHL roster for a few days, depending on Mason's condition.

Michigan coach Red Berenson told him to enjoy it. Hunwick, who had his pregame meal at Tim Horton's, said he hoped he would be excused from class.

His parents weren't able to attend the game, but he planned on having some friends come down. Tickets in Columbus are readily available these days.

Hunwick's brother, Matt, a defenseman for the Colorado Avalanche, was excited.

That “beat-up'' pickup, which some of his Michigan teammates razzed him about on Twitter, was passed down to Hunwick by his brother.

“It gets the job done,'' Hunwick said. “The guys thought that was pretty funny. I was probably going a little bit over the speed limit to get down here. Obviously, a little bit nerve-wracking. My cell phone died halfway through the trip. I was really hoping I didn't get lost.''

Hunwick doesn't know where he'll be playing next season. He had talked to a team in France, but he wasn't thinking about his future too much, just focusing on finishing the school year. Eventually, he wants to stay in the game.

“If I could get back into hockey, coaching or player development or being an agent, it would be a cool gig,'' he said.

For now, he's enjoying this unique opportunity.

“It's funny, people are congratulating me,'' Hunwick said. “All I did was answer my phone.''